Baltimore Basilica

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Baltimore Basilica
Latrobe BasilicaExterior.jpg
Site Information
Address409 Cathedral Street
Geo-reference39°17′40″N 76°36′58″W / 39.29443°N 76.61617°W / 39.29443; -76.61617
OwnerArchdiocese of Baltimore
Building Data
Building TypeChurch
Architectural StyleNeoclassical
Materialsilver-gray gneiss
Design
ArchitectBenjamin Henry Latrobe
Construction
Start Date1806
Completed1863
OpenedMay 31, 1821
Renovation
Date1879
FirmBaldwin & Pennington

America's first cathedral was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also designed the United States Capitol, and went on to be called the "Father of American Architecture." The Baltimore Basilica, also known as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is considered Latrobe's masterpiece. Its construction began in 1806, and it opened in 1821.

Exterior

It's a monumental Neoclassical-style building with a Greek-inspired portico that's supported by Ionic columns. Two 163-foot cylindrical towers rise behind the portico and are topped with garlic-shaped domes with copper sheathing. The exterior walls are made of a silver-gray gneiss that was quarried near Ellicott City. The central double-shell dome is 75 feet in diameter.

Latrobe Portico .jpgLatrobe Portico.jpgLatrobe Portico 3.jpg

Interior

The interior is harmoniously centralized around the dome to a degree lost in the cruciform exterior. Concentric plaster rosettes adorn the coffered ceiling. The windows are made of clear glass and the walls are painted pale yellow, blue, and rose, giving the nave a bright atmosphere. These interior restorations were made in 2006 as part of a $34 million restoration project to bring the cathedral back to its original vision, removing many misguided elements from previous restorations, including stained glass windows that were installed in the 1940s.

Latrobe Basilica Interior 1.jpgLatrobe Basilica Interior 4.jpgLatrobe Basilica Interior 2.jpgLatrobe Basilica Interior 3.jpg

Undercroft

In 2006, the crypt under the building was made accessible to the public. The crypt, with its intricate masonry, had been filled with sand from the original construction of the building. It is now accessible, and the Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, which was part of Latrobe's initial vision, has finally come to fruition. The undercroft brickwork was signed by Francis Denis Gildea (1814-1881) and his son David Michael Gildea (1844-1911) between February and July 1863. Francis and David returned to work on the undercroft in 1872. To view the signatures face the crypt and look at the top of the archway.

Latrobe Undercroft 1.jpgLatrobe Undercroft 2.jpgLatrobe Undercroft 3.jpg